what’s happening in my house these days

I thought I hit a parenting low when I had to take my 5 year old son in to have a cavity filled this morning.

Then I forgot to pick up my daughter from school.

Really, I should leave it at that – it would definitely be more entertaining. I’m compelled to give a little justification, since my parents are regular readers here. The cavity situation is humbling for sure since I discovered I have a real attitude about cavities. I don’t really have anything to say for myself there except to cry foul, since Honey has never had one and I personally don’t believe in them. The good news is that they were able to get him in quickly, the dentist is insanely nice and Hot Wheels was a champ. He didn’t really mind it at all, which wasn’t part of my plan. I was secretly hoping it would be just uncomfortable enough for him to never want to go through it again, which would make my new Brush Ten Times A Day program more palatable.

After the dentist, Hot Wheels wasn’t really up for school, seeing as he kept trying to drink water but ended up dribbling it all down his shirt. Messy. So he stayed home with me, which set me up for trouble, since he’s usually home with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays, not Wednesdays. Wednesday is “early release day” at the elementary school, so all the kids get out an hour early. For three years I’ve been anticipating the day that I forgot it was Wednesday, and hooray! It was today. The defense rests. Literally – I’m going to go lie down. I think first I’ll ask the kids to prep the dinner with the sharp knives or maybe light some candles for me or possibly just go play in the street.

Here are a few gems from my past:
* Riding Honey on the trail-a-bike that wasn’t exactly ‘attached’
* Letting Hot Wheels brush his teeth for the last 12 months (unintended)
* Making Honey ride her bike up a drainage ditch (she was 6) and then watching her panic as she rolled backwards down into the embankment

I haven’t forgotten one of the boys yet, but I did leave the dog tied up outside the bank.

Paula Poundstone had a great story about bad parenting at her show we went to recently. After a week of asking her son very politely to pick up the sock he dropped in the middle of the living room, she finally yelled at him to “Pick up the f****g sock!” I turned to Aaron and said- I’m going to say those exact words in 7-10 years.

Also, these comments have prompted me to reinstate my objection to our children accompanying you anywhere this summer, despite the 20% chance they will escape uninjured. Again, nothing personal, just prudent thinking. Safety first.